The Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute (DHLRI) is requesting an atomic force microscope (AFM) system to establish an AFM core facility at the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine and Public Health (COMPH). The requested instrument is a Bioscope AFM system from Digitial Instruments. The system will be comprised of a Digital Instrument's Nanoscope IV controller, a BioScope AFM, an offline workstation for data analysis and the Zeiss inverted light microscope Axiovert 200 along with a number of necessary AFM accessories and the image processing softwares. The COMPH and other allied Colleges of Biomedical Sciences at OSU do not have any AFM instrumentation. Our current access is limited to an upgraded MultiMode AFM with a Nanoscope Ilia controller in the College of Engineering, a considerable distance away at the West Campus of OSU. Besides being physically away from the COMPH, this AFM has restrictions on the sample size and limited technical capabilities which can only be overcome by an instrument like the Bioscope. The Bioscope is essential to accommodate the quantity and diversity of the research projects at OSU that will benefit by using the AFM technology. This proposal for acquiring a state-of-the art AFM system is being submitted on behalf of 3 major users with NIH funding and 4 minor users with NSF or other funding. To fulfill the diverse AFM needs of the user group, a state-of-the-art AFM instrument is needed which can accomplish both high-resolution nanoscale imaging and a simultaneous light-microscopy examination of the cell samples and tissue sections. The NIH projects will use the requested Bioscope AFM for investigating cell cytoskeleton, exocytosis and extracellular matrix regulation by cells, topography of tissue sections and surface characterization. These investigations will help in answering biological questions at the nanoscale level which will then be related to the data acquired using a multitude of other techniques in the NIH projects. Novel biological applications of AFM like magnetic force microscopy (MFM) and dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) will form a new vector of innovative research and development of the proposed AFM core facility. DHLRI and the University have provided support for the related laboratory facility development and will provide continuing institutional support in the form of staff salary. Acquisition of this AFM instrumentation will greatly enhance the research programs of the major users and aid other biomedical investigators at OSU. [unreadable] [unreadable] [unreadable]